You have increased responsibility but you get little to nothing of value in return. I want to know why you guys want honors so badly
Current honors student here. I definitely wouldn’t agree that “you get little to nothing of value in return.” There a lot of reasons people want to be in honors.
Honors classes are significantly smaller. That can improve the learning environment a lot. Would you rather be in a lecture of 200 or 35? That can make a big difference. CSE coursework is pretty rough, and having easier access to your professors has been nice. One of the biggest benefits.
Honors advisers, especially if you make a point to stay in touch with them, can be extremely helpful. From what I have heard they are far more helpful than regular departmental advisers. Mine has been great. At orientation, honors students had hour-long appointments with advisers. I heard regular appointments were only 15 minutes.
Participation in the honors program allows you to live in the Honors community, if you so choose. If you want to live somewhere quiet with students who are very academically focused and highly motivated, you have the option. Honors can also introduce a lot of continuity in the people with whom you live and study. That’s been a huge plus for me.
Yes, the classes are probably a little bit more work, but I don’t really think the difference is all that significant. In physics, for example, the only difference is the inclusion of a couple more chapters of work (meaning a slightly faster pace) and a lab that is a little bit more involved. I myself wondered if I would really have it easier if I was taking non-Honors classes, and I don’t think the answer to that question, from what I’ve heard from other students, is really all that definitive. Not saying honors isn’t a little harder, but the work is going to be hard regardless. I also feel like my honors courses are preparing me well for the courses I will be taking next.
There are also a few smaller benefits like hand-picked professors and the ability to graduate with honors. Being in honors can also make it easier to get into research, etc.
And, oh, I forgot to mention something. Nicer curves. Professors take into account that a class is made of entirely honors students. A course having honors distinction could mean the difference between curving the average to a B+ rather than a C+. That’s a big deal too, just the fact that you aren’t punished for challenging yourself.
I can’t guarantee that I will stay in honors for my whole four years. At some point I may decide it doesn’t offer enough value to me. But if I don’t finish out the program, who cares? It’s definitely offering me a lot of nice benefits right now, and that’s what matters to me.
This thread can reiterate a lot of what I’ve said: www.reddit.com/r/uofmn/comments/3ygm2j/benefits_of_honors_program/
Sorry if it sound like I’m giving a speech. Should be helpful to people thinking about honors though.
I have to speak up on this one!
S2 graduated spring 2015 with latin honors from CSE (electrical engineering). There were a couple times his last few semesters when he toyed with dropping honors as it can be a challenge to find a course or come up with an experience. He was also able to do the 5 year masters program and this spring will receive his masters in EE.
Now for the fun part. He was just accepted to graduate school at the University of Oxford and they were very impressed with his honors thesis (something about lasers).
So local boy goes to his state flagship, graduates with honors and is accepted to one of the top universities in the world…way cool…
@Kajon, massive congrats to your S2! Well done, and yeah to the state flagship- they don’t get enough credit 